


Something New

by bitogoth



Series: Something Different, Something New [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Bruce Feels, Emotional Hurt, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Non-Canonical OC Death, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Past Violence, Protective Jarvis, Slow Build, Tony Being Tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-05
Updated: 2014-11-26
Packaged: 2018-02-23 22:18:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2557736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitogoth/pseuds/bitogoth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wherein Complications Arise And Mettle  is Tested.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Girls' Night Out

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize to my subscribers for the updates. I'm cleaning up some continuity errors in my timeline, but it has to be done before the story progresses. In good news, there should new chapters very soon!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly fluff. I regret nothing.

Like so very many things, it was all Darcy's fault.

It took her all of a week after getting back to New York to become bored. London was nice, and, well, there was boy-nookie, but Darcy _loved_ New York. The problem was, she lived with a bunch of fuddy-duddies.

"Jaaaaaannnnnnne, come onnnnnnnn. I want to go oooouuuut!"

Jane blew a lock of hair out of her eyes as she hunched over the machinery; Stark's funding had gone a long way to improving the quality of her instrumentation, but she still tended to patch things together with duct tape and wire.

"I can't, I really... ow!" Jane flinched as she shocked herself, then kicked the whatever-it-is in retribution. Surprisingly, it started up and the previously-dead monitor came online. "Hm." She shrugged. "Should have tried that sooner, I guess. Now what were you whining about this time?"

Darcy draped melodramatically over the worktable she was sitting on. Pressing a wrist to her forehead she moaned, "We never do anything _fun_. It's always science-science-science!"

"Ah. Right. The 'I'm bored' whine," Jane teased fondly.

Darcy took the fact that Jane was actually paying attention as a good sign; the astrophysicist tended to go into manic-science mode when Thor was away for too long, but apparently his last visit was still recent enough.

Darcy sat up abruptly. "Let's go to a club! We can dress up and have fruity drinks and wiggle our booties on the dance floor!"

Jane looked skeptical at best. "You know, I'm not a big club person. Dancing in the lab is fun, but..."

"Aww, come on! Hey, I bet we can get Natasha to go!" Jane seemed to be considering it. "Maybe we can get Tony to lend us the limo- Happy can drive us!"

"Uh...," but it was too late, Darcy was already out the door.

"I'll ask her!" she called over her shoulder.

Jane stood in the middle of the lab, wondering what just happened. "But, I didn't say yes?"

***

Natasha and Maria were in the communal kitchen, sipping coffee and talking quietly when Darcy burst in and threw herself around Nat's shoulders.

"Natasha! Jane and I want to go clubbing will you come with us? Pleasepleaseplease!" She turned to Maria. "You, too! It's a girl-bonding-thing. You have to come!"

Maria looked surprised; she was pleased to be invited, but her first instinct was to say 'no.' Natasha knew exactly what she was thinking and decided to mix things up a bit.

"We could use a night out- do some dancing," Natasha said casually over the rim of her mug.

Maria gave her a sharp look and wasn't the least bit fooled by the look of bland innocence she received, but of course it was too late.

"Yay! Let me ask Alex!" Darcy darted back toward the elevator.

 "Oh no, poor Alex," Natasha chuckled.

"Why 'poor Alex'?"

"She's not a club person."

Maria considered that a moment. "JARVIS, would you please inform Agent Harrow that as her direct supervisor I will be personally offended if she doesn't accept?"

"Of course, Director Hill."

Natasha gave her an admiring look. "Ooh, that's evil," and chuckled wickedly.

"Isn't that why you like me?"

***

It didn't take long for word to get out about the excursion. Alex tried to back out by claiming she had no club clothes; Darcy offered to share something from her closet, but their proportions were too different. In the end, Maria was the one to lend her an outfit. They met in the common room at 10 pm for pre-club libations, and everyone else _just happened_ to be hanging out to see them off.

Darcy and Jane were the first to arrive. Jane wore a shimmery peach top and white pants. Darcy had a red blouse that hung in folds, letting her show off 'the girls' without giving away too much, and a pair of black pants she'd had to lie flat on the bed to get zipped. There were appreciative whistles and Pepper made a point of taking a picture for Thor. Tony played host, handing out drinks.

"I wish you could come with us, Pepper," Darcy pouted.

Pepper laughed, "I'm flattered but no- I have an early meeting."

Natasha, Maria, and Alex came up together. Natasha stepped off the elevator and there was a respectful silence. Sam let out a "daaaaaaang" under his breath. She wore a pair of black leather pants that must have been painted on, and a top that was basically a scrap of black satin gathered at the neck and a string tied around her back. With her red curls and a pair of three-inch stilettos Natasha looked ready to kill, as usual. Tony sighed dramatically, "Those poor club kids don't stand a chance."

Natasha batted her eyelashes. "Why thank you Tony."

"Insincere wench."

She laughed and stepped aside so Maria could show off. The usually formal Director wore her hair down is loose curls with a pair of red leather pants and a sequined silver top; it made her look completely different and somehow no less intimidating. Steve's eyebrows hit his hairline and he cleared his throat. The room applauded and Clint belted out a wolf-whistle; Maria _might_ have blushed, just a little.

"And here's Alex," announced Natasha, grabbing her by the arm. She wore a black halter top that left her shoulders bare and black skintight pants with her usual crown of braids. She was obviously embarrassed and kept trying to pull down the hem of the top, which stopped an inch above her waistline, but did a little bow for the audience anyway. 

Tony gestured grandly to the bar, "Help yourselves! Your chariot awaits. I expect many compromising pictures in return for my generous services."

Pepper gave him a light push. "Send the pictures to _me_ , ladies, I need some vicarious living and I'll make sure they don't end up plastered all over the Internet."

"Would I do that?" Tony asked with a mournful look. "I am wounded, _wounded_ I tell you." There was general laughter.

Alex stalked purposefully to the bar and rummaged through the bottles. "Ah- here we go." She proceeded to unscrew the cap and take a generous swig straight from the bottle.

"Is that Jagermeister? " Tony commented to no one in particular. "I didn't even know I had any."

Alex considered a moment, then took a second swig and put the bottle back. She sighed and nodded. "Okay, I can do this now." Darcy laughed and gave her a hug. The girls finished their drinks and crowded onto the elevator, waving goodnight as the doors closed.

There was a thoughtful silence after they left. 

"So how hard would it be to find out..." Sam started, and Clint waggled his eyebrows with an evil grin.

"I'm to inform the gentlemen that any attempt to interfere with tonight's festivities will be met by retribution from Agent Romanov, per her orders."

Clint paused and considered JARVIS' message a moment, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth it- he was still recovering from being the target of Tash's wrath after the laundry incident and even he had some rudimentary sense of self-preservation. He sighed, "Oh well."

***

As the evening progressed a number of cell phone pics circulated around Avengers Tower. Someone _just happened_ to leave a complimentary bottle of champagne in the limo, as photo evidence attested. There was an adorable selfie of Darcy and Jane with cheeks pressed together to fit in the shot. There was a solo picture of Natasha sprawled artlessly across a seat gazing out the window, looking for all the world like a model in an ad. Another one caught Maria and Natasha leaning towards each other, their fingers laced together and Natasha with a sly smile.

In fact, it quickly becomes clear that Alex took most of the photos, but she didn't entirely escape documentation. One shot shows her and Darcy laughing uproariously, falling against each other in the limo. In the club, mixed in with pictures of Darcy showing off an enormous drink with paper umbrellas and Maria and Natasha sandwiching a dudebro on the dance floor (who looked like he was about to faint) is a single shot of Alex in a less-crowded corner, dancing as if no one else is in the room.

At some point the party moved to another club and there is a pic of Natasha escorting the group through the front door, a long line staring and whispering and the bouncer holding the door open looking extremely respectful. There are more selfies with drinks, and another picture taken by Alex of the girls domineering the center of the dance floor. By 3 am Jane (who was by far the lightweight of the group) was stumbling around hilariously so they headed back home. There is a picture of Jane, red-faced and laughing, slung over Alex's shoulder as they cross of the lobby.

***

Bruce decided to take a break from the current tests; it was nearly 4 am so he didn't expect to find anyone in the kitchen. To his surprise, Alex was leaning against the counter, waiting for the kettle to boil.

"Hi! So, everyone's back? How was it?"

Alex smiled tiredly. "It was fun but I'm beat. Trying to get Jane and Darcy to drink water before going to bed- that was more of a struggle than I expected."

Bruce laughed. "How about Natasha and Maria?"

Alex smirked. "They're big girls, they'll take of of each other. I'm making chamomile- would you like some?"

"Yes please." Bruce fished a mug out of the cabinet and sat at the kitchen table.

Alex had already kicked off her shoes, and as she placed the steaming mugs on the table she groaned in delight, sinking into a chair.

"That bad, huh?" Bruce chuckled.

Alex gave a rueful grin. "Not my usual scene. Too loud, too crowded to really dance, and the music was all 'untz untz untz untz'."

Bruce laughed, "Doesn't sound like my sort of thing, either."

"Don't get me wrong, I like to dance, but I also like actual lyrics."

"What kind of music do you like?"

Alex thought for a moment. "Honestly, I have really eclectic musical tastes. Although after tonight I need something soothing, good 80's maybe."

"There was good 80's music?"

Alex gave him a hurt look. "Of course, good New Wave, for example. I could use something mellow, though."

Quiet music started playing and Alex laughed with delight. "How did you know, JARVIS?"

"I do have access to your playlists, Agent Harrow," JARVIS admitted.

Bruce cocked his head a moment, "This sounds familiar."

"'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' is pretty much a staple- I still love it," Alex admitted.

Bruce hummed to himself for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "Tears for Fears!"

Alex laughed and nodded, clearly much more relaxed now. "Got it in one."

They sat in companionable silence, listening to the music. By the end Alex sighed, then stood to rinse out her mug. "Okay, I think I've wound down enough, I'm going to go sleep until noon."

"I think you earned it. Have a good night!"

Alex smiled, "You, too."

***

The next day, Tony was working with Bruce on their newest project.

"What. What is that?" Tony asked.

"Hm?"

"Are you humming?"

"What?"

"You're humming. You never hum. Why are you doing that?"

"I didn't realize that I was."

"You didn't answer my question."

"It was stuck in my head when I woke up this morning."

"Well, it's weird. Stop that."

Bruce chuckled.


	2. Problems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay- other parts of the story were demanding my attention, so I worked on those a bit and then came back to the arc. Also, there's relationship-stuff happening I didn't originally expect but the characters demand it. *shrugs* What can you do?

A few days later Alex was hunting through the common room for her current book when a loud clatter came from the kitchen. She peered around the corner and was stunned to see Pepper standing at the sink, crying.

"Pepper! Did you hurt yourself?" Alex rushed over- it was a shock to see the CEO anything other collected and in-charge.

Pepper flinched with ...guilt? "Alex! No, no I..."

Alex looked at the pot in the sink, then carefully tuned off the water and held Pepper by her elbows. 

"Don't, don't tell?" Pepper choked on a sob. Alex watched carefully as the last of the orange glow faded from Pepper's hands; the pot handle was warped and almost melted through.

"Whatever you want," she replied calmly, leading Pepper to the table and guiding her gently into a chair. She wet a dishcloth and held it out to Pepper, who dabbed at her eyes now that her hands had cooled.

Alex examined the pot, then threw it in the garbage. "You must have the worst time getting insurance for anything in the Tower," she mused.

Pepper's laughter was strained, but the panic was passing. "You have no idea. Tony suggested we open an insurance company but I talked him out of it."

Alex squeezed Pepper's shoulder, and when she didn't move away sat down and gave her a hug. Pepper sighed on her shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"We all need to get it out once in a while." Alex looked carefully at her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Yes. No. I don't know." Pepper rested her face in her hands and sighed deeply.

"Is it Tony?"

Pepper's rueful chuckled was muffled by hands. "Isn't it usually?"

"Is he okay?"

Pepper straightened up, visibly pulling herself back together and gave a wan smile. "No," she said softly, a hopeless look on her face. "He was in the lab... he and Bruce have been working on something. The whole side of his face is bruised... he didn't want to tell me. They're working on this...thing...for the Hulk." She pressed her eyes closed and a look of pain crossed her face. "I love Bruce, I really do. And Tony adores him; his best friend and the brother he never had. But Tony just doesn't _think_!" Her fist slammed on the table and she quickly returned it to her lap. "He had the suit on but the faceplate was open... the Hulk caught him by surprise."

Alex's was grim. "Does he need help? What can I do?"

Pepper gave her a long look and then suddenly hugged her tightly. She wiped tears from her eyes and smiled shakily. "Thank you. Thank you for everything. He'll be fine. He's just stubborn. And short-sighted. And infuriating. And he's always sorry. So sorry." The last was said so softly Alex suspected Pepper didn't know she'd said it aloud.

"How is Bruce taking all this?"

"He feels terrible- absolutely mortified. He wants to stop the whole thing, the experiments. Says it's not worth it." Pepper's shoulders sagged. "But it is. It's a chance for him to have a semi-normal life again and Tony just wants to help- just wants to be able to give his friend that." She turned Alex, pleading: "How can I say no to that? How?" Alex wrapped her arms around Pepper's shaking shoulders.

In the doorway, Natasha stepped into the kitchen and raised an eyebrow. Alex gave a small shake of her head and Nat nodded, then backed out to stand guard to make sure they weren't interrupted.

Alex thought quickly. "Who is working with them on this?"

Pepper sniffled, then sighed, slowly regaining her composure. "Just the two of them. Thor helps when he's in town, but he's not here much."

"Does Director Hill know about this?"

Pepper's face twisted for a moment. "Apparently it was some suggestion of hers that started all this."

Alex sighed. "Right. Let me find out some more, see what I can do." Pepper was already shaking her head but Alex kept on, "If nothing else maybe I can help, make sure Tony follows safety protocols."

Pepper twisted the dishtowel in her hands and gave a wry smile, "Good luck with that." She looked up at Alex, "But thank you. Thank you for listening. And for trying." Alex squeezed her shoulder one more time as Natasha slipped in the door and embraced Pepper silently. Pepper hugged her back fiercely. 

"We'll both help, and we're here for you whenever you need us," Nat offered. This time it was Alex's turn to make eye contact with the spy, nod, and slip out the door.

She had some people to talk to.

***

Maria was in her office, and Alex decided the direct approach would work best.

"Do you know what Stark and Banner are working on?"

Hill closed the folder she was reading and tapped the cover with a finger twice while she considered. "I take it you have an incident in mind?"

"Something to do with the Hulk."

Maria thought for a moment, then gave a short nod. "I take it there's been collateral damage. Pepper?"

Alex blew out a breath; it was always eerie to see the Director in action. Alex wondered if she was a light precog or just a really excellent intelligentsia. "Yes. I'll approach Banner first, but it would help to know what I'm walking into."

There was a long pause.

"A sedative that can incapacitate the Hulk."

That set the agent back a moment. "Right. I take it that I have your blessing on this?"

Maria crooked an eyebrow. "Would it stop you?"

Alex couldn't help but grin, "I don't think this will be the issue where we find out."

Now Hill had a slight curl of a smile. "Notify me of progress and if you need backup."

Alex nodded, standing to go.

"Is she alright?"

"As well as she can be considering the circumstances. And apparently Tony has one hell of a shiner." Maria waved that off- it was clear where her concern lay. "Thank you for asking."

"Potts is... a friend. She's taken on a lot having us here."

"Understood. Thank you, Director."

Alex shut the door, and Maria turned back to her file.


	3. Solutions

Bruce's lab was empty. She'd only been there once before, but still recognized a new work area that appeared to be biochemical. Nearby was a table with Tony's signature chaos; it looked like he was working on a new arrow attachment for Clint.

"Are you looking for Dr. Banner, Agent Harrow?"

"Yes I am. Is he available, JARVIS?"

"I do not believe that he wishes company at this time."

Well, she certainly wasn't going to touch anything without Bruce's permission, but apparently she needed an ally. Once again, the direct approach was best; JARVIS already knew everything that happened in the Tower.

"He's upset because he hurt Tony, isn't he." It really wasn't a question.

JARVIS paused a moment, "I prefer to not speculate on the feelings of others." He sounded particularly butler-ish. JARVIS was careful to respect the privacy of the Tower's residents, and was particularly protective of the Avengers.

"I spoke with Pepper. In your opinion, would having another participant in the tests reduce risk of this sort of event?"

The pause was noticeably longer this time. Alex tried hard to not treat JARVIS as an all-seeing eye-in-the-sky; she knew she was treading on thin ground here. Hopefully soliciting his advice would work where a simple request wouldn't. She could count on one hand the AIs she had interacted with over the years, and JARVIS was so far beyond any of them that he was in a separate class altogether,

"According to my calculations, the opportunity for mischance is significantly lower when a third party is involved. Prince Thor's involvement was designed to be a physical response if things become... unruly. However, he has not yet been needed in that role. Instead, his presence provided a mitigating effect to Sir's more, enthusiastic, endeavors."

Alex considered that carefully. "So, Bruce needs someone to help balance Tony?"

"I believe that you are correct in that assumption, Agent Harrow." JARVIS sounded pleased that she had read between the lines.

Alex chuckled. "And Tony hasn't been listening to your advice on the matter, either, has he?"

"You are coming to know us very well, Agent Harrow." Alex could hear the dry humor in that response. Not for the first time she wondered how much JARVIS' personality had exceeding his initial programming.

"Do you think my intervention in this project would be welcomed?"

"I do." JARVIS' response was surprisingly firm. "Both Sir and Dr. Banner have come to respect your knowledge, and from watching your interactions with other members of the Tower I believe you will be a responsible partner. Shall I notify Dr. Banner that you wish to speak with him?"

"Yes, please. And thank you, JARVIS, your opinion means a great deal to me."

"Thank you for asking, Agent Harrow."

Alex turned toward Bruce's door- now for the hard part.

"Ah, not _that_ door, Agent Harrow."

Alex started, then realized what he meant; Bruce was in the lockdown room. She moved over to the door but there was no handle, just a handplate.

"I have spoken with Dr. Banner. He is willing to speak with you. Please convince him, if you can."

"I'll do my best, JARVIS." Alex placed her hand on the plate and the door slid into the wall.

***

Alex stepped in and the door hissed closed behind her. The walls were a soft wheat color and subtly padded. She realized that the whole guest suite had been converted into one large room for this purpose. There were two similar doors, one leading to Bruce's apartment and the other directly to his lab. A few beanbag chairs were scattered around, and behind a clear plastic shield set in one wall was a television, but it was currently off. It took her a moment to recognize Bruce sitting on the floor with his back to the far corner. He looked like hell.

"Hi."

"Hi." Bruce waved a hand casually. "Come to see the rumpus-room?"

Alex chuckled dutifully, willing to follow his lead. "It's soothing. I could do yoga in here." She wandered over, noting the dome cameras in each corner of the ceiling.

Bruce looked surprised a moment, then thoughtful, sounding a bit more relaxed. "I never considered that. Pepper recommended the color."

"She's good like that," Alex agreed. She sat down and leaned against the wall an arm's-length away. Bruce shifted a bit so he was leaning against the same wall. They sat like that in silence a moment, Bruce watching her from the corner of his eye.

"So, what brings you here?" He sounded genuinely curious, but also hesitant.

"What's gotten Tony's knickers in a twist over this project?"

That surprised a laugh out of Bruce. "Knickers-in-a-twist? I haven't heard that in a _long_ time."

"Yeah, well, I had a southern momma. He's really pushing the testing though, isn't he?" She wasn't going to let him deflect the conversation _that_ easily.

Bruce sighed and tilted his head back against the wall. He rubbed a hand over his face. "Yeah, yeah he is. And it's my fault."

"Pfft," Alex scoffed. Bruce looked at her in surprise. "Please, Tony does exactly what he wants. You just gave him a convenient excuse."

Bruce was doubtful. "He mentioned an IOP conference coming up in the UK and I said something, that it was interesting, and..."

"And, he hounded you into admitting why you wouldn't go, and then dedicated himself to taking away your excuses?"

Bruce frowned. "You make it sound so- Machiavellian."

"You _do_ know Tony Stark, don't you?"

He snorted. "Yeah, but I didn't think _you_ did, " he accused. "Get that out of our files?" He looked away angrily, hunching into himself.

Alex took a slow breath, that hurt more than she expected. "Yes, I read your files when I was brought on, but mostly I listened to Nat, because I trust her to give me a clear picture of the personalities of people she cares about." Bruce flinched a little.

"And I've been living here for two months, so I can see for myself how Tony goes overboard doing things to help his friends and doesn't think through the consequences. And a file didn't tell me how Nat drapes a blanket over Clint when he falls asleep on the couch, or how Sam drags Steve out to a bar to cheer him up even though he can't get drunk, or how much you like to cook for everyone." This time Bruce gave her an accusing look, but she wasn't backing down. "He wants to help and none of us can talk him out of it. So maybe you need a hand making sure he's taking reasonable risks?"

Bruce snorted. "You think you can really do that?"

"Between you, me, Pepper and JARVIS, we might just stand a chance," But Bruce's face suddenly crumbled.

"Oh no- Pepper. She's going to be so disappointed..."

"Not in you!" Alex had to cut this off quick. "She knows it was unintentional."

"She already knows?" Alex nodded. "Is she angry?"

Alex thought a moment, "Maybe at first, but now she's just worried. And she doesn't blame you."

"But she does blame Tony." Bruce sounded grim- this wasn't what he wanted.

Alex sighed. "She knows how he is. It still doesn't make it any easier." Bruce nodded in understanding. "So, will you let me help?"

Bruce gave her an odd look. "And if I say no?"

"Then I'll try to find some other way to help. But I promised Pepper that I'd try, and it sounds like if we can get this to work then it'll help all three of you."

"You don't even know what we're working on, do you?"

"Not specifically. There are still a few secrets around here." Bruce gave weak smile; Alex chose to take it as a win. "Want to show me?"

Bruce stared at the far wall for a moment and Alex tried not to hold her breath.

"Okay. To help Tony. And Pepper. This wasn't... I don't want it to be about me. I mean, I want... but not at that cost..."

Alex stood and reached a hand down to Bruce as he trailed off. "For Tony and Pepper." She said it firmly.

Bruce cautiously took her hand and allowed himself to be hauled up. "Thanks."

Alex smiled warmly; it seemed to light up her whole face. Bruce suddenly realized he was still holding her hand and quickly let go, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Right. I'll be back."

"Where are you going?"

"To talk to Tony."

"You haven't talked to him yet?"

"Nope. I figured I'd talk to the reasonable one, first," she called over her shoulder as she headed out.

Bruce gave a dry laugh and rubbed his forehead. "When did I become the reasonable one?" He turned to the lab- they had work to do.


	4. Three Heads are Better Than Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It happens to everyone sooner or later. Half a chapter disappeared. Hey, I have a backup! Hey, I cut instead of copied and undo does nothing! *CRY* Please forgive if this is a little uneven, my heart is breaking. So much Tony-banter! The re-write is never as good. This is my punishment for so much dialog.

Tony was in the workshop, music blasting as usual. Alex stood patiently beyond the glass wall, waiting for him to acknowledge her. He had the welder's mask down as he repaired his helmet, but she had no doubt he was perfectly aware she was there.

After a few minutes he looked over and waved her away. She smiled and waved back brightly. He returned to work for a few more minutes, then checked to make sure she had left and saw that she was still there. He waved his arm more emphatically. Alex nodded and motioned that she thought he was inviting her in. She tried the door but it was locked. She mimed confusion and gestured to the door. Tony shook his head and Alex exaggerated her nods, implying that he thought it wasn't locked when it was, then held a hand to her ear to make it clear that she couldn't hear what he was saying.

Now thoroughly annoyed, Tony turned off the welding tool and flipped up his mask. He marched over, muting the music on the way, opened the door and practically yelled, "I _SAID,_ go AWAY!" just as Alex slipped between him and the doorframe and walked into the lab.

Tony chased after her, "Hey. Wait. No. 'Go away' does not mean 'come in'."

"If you really didn't want me to come in you wouldn't have opened the door," Alex explained glibly as she skipped out of reach.

Tony tried to herd her to the door. "That is not true. You, you spend too much time with that red-headed hellion. You're a mini-hellion. You're now the blonde hellion."

"Aw Tony, you say the sweetest things," Alex beamed.

Tony threw his arms up. "I cannot win this, can I? You're like water. Off the back of something. A duck! Water off a duck. That's you. The duck."

Alex took a close look at the helmet. "Ouch, he clipped you right on the edge, huh?" She turned to Tony; the left side of his face was livid purple and there was a deep cut on his cheekbone. She frowned. "That needs stitches."

Tony flipped the welder's mask back down and his voice echoed slightly from behind it. "No, it doesn't. Now go away. I'm working." He stepped behind her to try moving her toward the door again and she expertly swung him around and sat him on a stool.

"Nope. I'm not leaving until I take care of your face. Where's your first aid kit? I know you have one down here."

Tony gave an aggrieved sigh. "Fine. Bathroom cabinet. But then you _leave_." Tony took off the face shield and tossed it on the worktop. He rolled over to the table and started looking closely at the damaged helmet. "Did Pepper send you?"

Alex glanced over her shoulder but he was carefully not looking up. "Yes and no." She grabbed the kit, then deliberately stepped between Tony and the workbench, forcing him to roll back. "Look up."

"You're bossy. You're a bossy lady. Bossy."

"I've been taking lessons from Darcy." She wiggled on a pair of gloves and started dabbing at the cut.

"She's bossy, too. Why are you here anyway?" he groused.

"You are not using available resources effectively."

"What?"

"You've filled a tower with people and then insist on doing things solo, and then things like this happen. So, I am offering my services to assist in testing and development. And you're going to accept."

"Wait. Are you handling me? Are you my Handler now?"

Alex looked closely at the cut and frowned. "Do you want me to sew this up or should I ask Bruce?" Tony winced and turned it into a half-shrug.

"Whatever. If you can do it then do it. I don't really care."

"Fine, but I'm a little disturbed that you're getting low on sutures. Do this often, do you?"

Tony humpfed. "If it's minor I take care of it my... ow! Ow, OW!"

"Stop it, don't be a baby."

"Blonde Hellion. Where did you learn to do this, anyway?"

"My dad."

"Well, that's... weird."

"I'm done. Two stitches. Baby."

"But really, why are you here?" Alex packed away the supplies and tossed the nitrile gloves in the trash.

"JARVIS, please place an order to restock the workshop first aid kit?"  
  
"Of course, Agent Harrow." JARVIS sounded just a little smug.

"And now you're turning my AI against me. You're all against me."

"So what happened?" Alex crossed her arms and gave Tony a direct look. 

"It was just stage three testing," he stood quickly and backed away, waving an arm vaguely. "The Big Guy, he just kind of freaked. Just a little." He held his finger and thumb to show how little. Alex was clearly unimpressed and Tony failed at not looking guilty.

"Are you going to actually tell me or should I just watch the recording?"

"No! No, no. That's not necessary. I really, argh. I mean, if I could just show you. Yes! Can I show you? Upstairs?"

Alex agreed; she knew it was as close as she'd get to him asking for, or accepting, help and she could work with that.

***

Bruce was in the lab when they came in. What followed was a curious blend of mating dance between large wading birds and posturing between small, territorial mammals. Bruce wouldn't ask Tony how his face was doing and Tony wouldn't let Bruce apologize. The brochismo was so thick you could cut it with a knife and Alex tolerated it as long as she could stand, which was all of two minutes.

"So, tell me about testing. You're up to stage three?"

"Yes! Right! Here, let me show you." Tony was eager to explain and Bruce seemed fine with him taking the reins. "Stage one was developing the knock-out drug for when someone is feeling big-and-greeny."

"We agreed to call it a sedative," Bruce corrected a little primly; Alex tried not to smile.

Tony waved that off. "It went really well, up to a certain point." Alex made a questioning noise, and Bruce explained.

"At a certain point in the... transformation... the needle can't pierce the skin anymore."

"Right!" Tony took back over. "So I came up with... this!" He triumphantly handed Alex a swatch of plastic about the size of her hand. She looked closely and noticed that under the clear surface was a textured layer, like a cat's tongue.

"Microinjectors! Just peel off the top and slap it in place. You can't shoot The Big Guy, but he still sweats. The world's biggest patch for the ultimate nic-fit. I'm working on an arrowhead attachment for Hawkboy so we can deploy at a distance if needed."

"What's the conversion time?" Alex was fascinated despite herself.

"We've been working on more concentrated doses but right now about 3-5 seconds mid-change." Tony rocked back on his heels, arms wrapped around his waist; he was pretty proud of himself. 

Bruce gave him a warning look over the rim his glasses. "Which brings us to stage three." Tony deflated slightly.

"Application and conversion rate from total transformation," Alex guessed and Bruce nodded. "What, _exactly_ , happened Tony?" Alex felt like she'd been asking the same question all day- maybe she would finally get an answer.

Tony engaged in a truly epic fit of fidgeting; Alex decided to name it the 'Tony Stark Two-Step' and made a mental note to tell Nat about it later.

Alex began to get suspicious. "Did you tell him what you were doing, Tony?"

"Yes! Well, sort of. I was explaining it and I don't think he was getting it, so I simplified and said it would just put him to sleep."

"And he didn't want to go to sleep."

"I guess. I mean, I approached him and he pushed me back. But it was a really _gentle_ push?"

Alex began to truly appreciate how long-suffering Pepper really was. "What did he do then?"

"Well, I kinda figured that was it for the day and, uh. Left. To do repairs."

"Did you watch the footage, Bruce?"

"Yes." His voice was quiet. "He just, stood there for a bit, then sat down and... changed back."

Alex sighed. "So, it wasn't malicious." She thought for a moment. "Tony, do you always wear the suit around the Hulk?"

"Huh? Uh, no. Well, just after a mission, or course, but otherwise, no."

"But you've worn it during the tests so far?"

"I think I see where you're going with this." Bruce turned to Tony, "I bet if we review the tapes we'll see that the suit puts him on edge because he associates it with a fight."

"I guess I have one more person to talk to, then."

Tony looked confused. "Noooo, there's just the three of us," he held up three fingers. "You, me, and science-nerd here." Alex raised an eyebrow at that, but Bruce was distracted; he'd immediately caught her point and didn't look happy about it.

"Are you sure? Now that we think we know..."

Alex shook her head. "Tony may need to regain his trust. And if I'm going to work on the project then he needs to meet me in a neutral setting with no suit and no tests."

Bruce paused; Alex looked nervous, but determined. He suddenly felt a little better about things. "I think... I think she has a point, Tony."

"Okay," he conceded with a shrug, "no suit. So, are we doing this now?"

Alex looked at Bruce. "No time like the present, if you're up for it."

Bruce fiddled with his glasses a moment. "It might be better for you to meet in a familiar place before you run into each other during a fight anyway, so yeah." He sighed a little.

"Okay! Right now." Tony clapped his hands and shooed Alex toward the door. "Bruce has to get dressed for the occasion. Er, undressed, really."

Bruce blushed. "Thanks _so much_ for that, Tony."

Tony grinned over his shoulder and Alex tried not to smile as they stepped into the padded room.


	5. In the Rumpus Room

"Right! So, Bruce will come in from his apartment," Tony explained, gesturing towards the appropriate door. "Let's just, ah, right... here!" Tony gestured to a small indentation and made sure Alex was watching while he pressed it. A hidden door opened containing shelves packed with snacks, a mounted microwave, a tiny sink, and a mini fridge.

"You've seen how Steve eats, right? And you know Bruce needs food when he changes back. Well, the Hulk's metabolism is insane and he can always eat."

"Like, Thor, huh?"

"OH GOD yes," Tony rolled his eyes. "The Blonde Bombshell has been wanting an eating contest with the Hulk but we're not sure what that would do to Bruce's digestive tract when he changes back.

Alex considered that. "Ew."

"Yeah, ew. Bigtime. But, so here..." and handed Alex a huge bowl half-full of pretzel nuggets. "He likes anything he can eat with his hands. This is a good snack." He closed the hidden door again, then turned and considered Alex, his demeanor suddenly serious.

"Listen, if you think you can't take it, it's okay. Natasha..."

"I know what happened, Tony, she warned me." His jaw clamped shut. "But this is a different situation, and I'm doing it for Pepper, too." Tony stared somewhere over her shoulder for a long moment, then nodded.

"Right."

The door to Bruce's room slid open and he stepped in. Tony immediately reverted to his usual level of hyperactivity. "Okay? You ready? All good?"

Bruce was wearing a pair of sweatpants at least four times too large for him and a t-shirt. Alex couldn't help but quip, "Well, that's a change- for once you're the barefoot one."

He looked surprised a moment, then a smile crept across his face. "Yeah, I think you're right. So, you ready for this?"

"Whenever you are."

Tony looked back and forth between them, but Alex wasn't sure if he was a afraid that someone would back out or hoping for it.

"Uh, right." Bruce took off his t-shirt and Alex looked to the side, offering him at least the semblance of privacy. "You, uh, you should watch." He sounded miserable again. Alex met his eyes, and he nodded once.

The change flowed seamlessly over his features and only took a few seconds.

Alex realized she was holding he breath and let it out slowly. She'd seen the footage; if he was fighting it, the change could take up to a minute, but not much more than that.

Tony took a step back. "Hey! Hey big guy. How're you doing?"

The Hulk looked around the room and grunted. He idly scratched his side, then turned his attention to Tony, who waved and gave a big smile. "How's it going?"

"Ton-y." Alex jumped. This was her first time actually hearing the Hulk speak. According to the files he didn't do it often and his vocabulary seemed limited, but it was hard to gauge his actual intelligence.

"Yeah! It's me, again." The Hulk leaned toward him and carefully pointed a huge finger at the left side of Tony's face, moving close but not quite touching; it looked like it took all of Tony's willpower not to lean or step back. "Ah yeah, it's no biggie. It's okay."

The Hulk huffed at that, but seemed willing to accept Tony's assurance. Alex must have unconsciously made some small sound, because the Hulk turned and suddenly his full attention was on her.

It wasn't the most terrified Alex had ever been in her life, but it was damn close.

As the Hulk moved nearer and leaned down for a better look Tony tried to distract him. "Hey, yeah! New people! This is Alex! Here, sit down, big guy, be sociable." Tony dragged over a massive beanbag and the Hulk rolled it behind him and sat down, then reached out for two more and pushed them towards Alex and Tony.

They both sat cautiously and Alex held the bowl out. The Hulk made a happy noise and smiled, taking the bowl carefully from her hands; Alex let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. The Hulk scooped a handful of pretzels into his mouth, dropping a few, and chewed happily.

"So what's new, buddy? Want some TV? Or Music?" The Hulk seemed to consider that a moment, then pointed at Alex. Tony started waving 'come on' motions to Alex.

"Who me?" Her voice didn't squeak, not _really_. "Uh, I like music." The Hulk grunted happily.

"Hey JARVIS, Happy Hulk Playlist #1!" Upbeat, instrumental music started playing softly in the background; Alex was amused to recognize R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World as We Know It".

The pretzels were already gone and Hulk handed the bowl to Tony. "Oh great, now I'm the help, huh? I only do this for you, pal," and stood to return the bowl to the kitchenette.

The Hulk leaned toward Alex again; he was just so BIG. She wasn't quite as nervous now, though; he just looked curious, maybe uncertain, and she felt the urge to reassure him. "It's nice to meet you; I'm sorry we haven't had the chance before now. I live here in the Tower, too." The Hulk grunted at that, but seemed to be listening. Tony leaned casually against the wall, watching everything closely.

The Hulk scowled a little and pointed at Alex; she wasn't sure what he wanted. "Uh, me? What about me?" She looked frantically at Tony but he just looked amused. He mouthed silently, "Your name."

"Uh, I'm Alex. Alex?"

The Hulk considered that a moment. "'Lex?"

"No, Al-lex, buddy." Tony wandered back to his beanbag. The Hulk scowled and grunted.

"No, no, Lex is okay. My brother called me Lexi." She smiled and the Hulk smiled back.

"Lex-y." He nodded, then leaned forward again, interested in her hair.

"My hair? My braids?" The Hulk grunted again but didn't stop staring. Alex looked to Tony again but this time he shrugged; he was as mystified as she was.

"It's, uh, here, I'll show you." She carefully unpinned her braids. The Hulk's concentration quickly turned to delight as she picked out the braids. When she was done he rocked back and forth happily, then leaned over and gently touched her hair with one finger. "I guess you've never seen braids before. Or no one ever showed you how they worked?"

She glanced at Tony, who watched sadly. What other things hadn't he experienced? She started to understand that Tony wasn't just protective of Bruce.

She turned back to the Hulk, just in time to see him blinking sleepily and then begin to revert.

"Whoop!" Tony jumped up. "Showtime's over- this time you turn around."

Alex quickly did so, and a moment later heard Bruce murmur, "Where's my shirt?"

"Okay, it's safe to turn back now!" Tony sang out. Alex looked at Bruce; he seemed dazed but otherwise fine.

"How long?"

"Maybe ten minutes, tops."

"Short then." He looked around the room. "Pretzel nuggets and music, huh? He was mellow."

"Yep. And he said Alex's name and played with her hair."

"What?!"

Alex was suddenly embarrassed; Bruce seemed so shocked. "He touched it once. He seemed to have trouble with the 'A' sound, but he called me 'Lex' and 'Lexi'."

Bruce scrubbed a hand over his face; he was too tired for this. "Look, I need..."

"Yeah, yeah, go take a nap sleeping beauty, we'll catch up later. Go on- shoo!"

Bruce staggered into his room. They stepped into the hallway and stood, staring at the closed door a moment. Tony turned abruptly to Alex. "So, you have questions, right?"

Alex sighed, "Of course."

"I think this calls for a drink. Do you want a drink? I want a drink. Let's go."

The lounge was empty as Tony poured them both a generous shot of whisky. He kept an eye on Alex as she swirled the amber liquid in her tumbler thoughtfully a moment, then downed it neatly. His lips quirked.

"You handled that pretty well, you know. Meeting the Big Guy for the first time can be kind of, overwhelming."

"In a word," Alex gave a dry chuckle. "So..."

Tony dropped into a chair. "So here are the top questions everyone seems to have and how much we really know. One: sometimes he remembers a little, but not always. The more in control the change is the more likely he is to remember, but that's not a hard-and-fast rule. Emotions sometimes carry over. Sometimes he remembers things much later. It varies."

"Two, Bruce refers to him as The Other Guy and so do we. We follow his lead on this, always. Disassociative personality, maybe. Pronouns get tricky so proper nouns are safer. It's up to Bruce if he wants to talk to a shrink, we stay hands-off. Capisce?" Alex nodded.

"Three. He's usually okay with medical tests and data, but only with his permission. Always. Sometimes after a change he's still too near the edge; he can relapse. There's still a lot we don't know."

"Four." Tony looked down at his own drink for a moment, then knocked it back. "He's my friend and he's safe here, and I will do my damnedest to make sure nothing ever changes that." He gave her a sharp look and she nodded. "Good. Right. Good." Tony rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. They both sat in silence a long moment, looking out at the skyline view. "Did I miss anything there?"

Alex considered a moment. "He seemed fine with you, concerned about your face but..." she shrugged. "Do you think he'll be okay to try stage three again? Without the suit this time?"

"I think so. Maybe. But it will be Bruce's decision." Alex nodded and stood to return her glass to the bar. Tony's hand shot out and caught her sleeve. "Hey. I'm. I'm going to go talk to Pepper. Just. Alex? Thanks."

She gave a warm smile and squeezed his wrist gently. "You're welcome, Tony," then gently pried the empty glass from his hand and shooed him away.

He stood. "Right. I. Thanks. Right." and quickly left.

Alex sighed; it had been a long day.


	6. Truth in Dreams

Bruce tosses in his sleep.

It's less than an hour since Alex and the Hulk met, and Bruce dreams he is in the room. Maybe he's Tony? He knows it is a dream, but can't do anything, just watch.

Alex unbraids her hair. The color looks different when it's down, somehow- richer. Is it really like that? He can't remember.

He watches the Hulk reach out a tentative finger and touch her hair. It isn't fair!

"No!"

Bruce gasped, abruptly sitting up and frantically feeling to make sure he had a shirt on. The familiar fabric clutched to his chest, some of the tension eased away. He sat in bed, getting his breathing under control for a few minutes, then staggered to the bathroom to splash water on his face. The dream... he shrugged it off. It was a dream.

He made a cup of tea and asked JARVIS to load the recording to his pad. Scrolling through the footage he frowned a moment at the spilled pretzels; he still needed to clean that up. At least The Other Guy hadn't eaten any off the floor- that would have been embarrassing.

The Hulk's back was to one of the corner cameras, so Bruce had an over-the-shoulder view of the Hulk reaching for Alex's hair. He paused the recording and frowned; Alex didn't looked frightened, which was good. Instead she looked... fascinated?

Bruce grunted and quickly scrolled through the other cameras, this time watching the Hulk's face as he reached forward. He seemed curious, certainly. Was he happy because Alex let him touch her hair? That she didn't seem frightened? It was certainly an act of trust.

He scowled at the still screen for a moment, then called up recordings of the Hulk's first-time meetings with other Avengers. He'd also been fascinated by the color of Natasha's hair; he'd actually said 'Red', but hadn't tried to touch it. Was it just that Alex's hair was long? The Hulk hadn't had any interest in Thor's hair.

On a hunch he flipped back to one of the few times Pepper and the Hulk had met. She also had long, fair hair although she was more of a strawberry blonde. Had he thought Alex was Pepper? No, he'd actually said Alex's name. Bruce shifted in his chair uncomfortably.

He watched the first recording of Tony introducing Pepper. She'd been frightened but trying to hide it, and had actually reached out to touch the Hulk, which seemed to surprise and please him. Tony was convinced that the Hulk was trying to make a good impression, but he and Bruce had never been able to agree on that. The Hulk had said her name as well: 'Pep-per'.

Bruce closed the recordings and sighed, rubbing his eyes. One way or the other, it looked like they were good to try stage three again, maybe tomorrow. He'd talk to Tony.

"Dr. Banner, the others are gathering for dinner. Do you wish to join them?"

"Thanks, JARVIS." The team had quickly learned not to take it personally if Bruce skipped a meal, especially on a 'Hulk' day. He actually didn't feel too badly, but somehow he just couldn't face a group at the moment. "I think I'll eat in tonight."

"Of course, Dr. Banner."

Bruce cleaned up the spilled pretzels, then puttered around the kitchen but didn't feel particularly hungry. Tony had installed a full kitchen in his apartment while the other suites only had kitchenettes, since Bruce was more likely to eat alone.

He picked at a cold salad listlessly. He didn't feel like reading or watching TV, and there was nothing that needed urgent attention in the lab. He spent some time puttering around his room and lab, straightening up and doing laundry.

Bruce caught himself thinking about the Ethiopian place he'd eaten at with Thor and Jane. And Alex. There was more testing to do but, if they could get this to work, he could go out on his own. Go to a movie or a museum. It was still better with someone else there... safer, of course. But he wouldn't have to schedule around Thor's appearances. He could go out to eat any time, with anyone he wanted... his stomach suddenly growled and Bruce frowned. _Now_ , he was hungry?

He looked up the restaurant online and sure enough, they delivered. It was late, but they were happy to deliver to the Tower since it was so close. Just the thought of food made Bruce feel better, and he started making some notes for the next round of tests. He had JARVIS add a meeting to Tony and Alex's calendars for the next day- he had some ideas on how they should proceed. By the time the food arrived he was humming and in full swing.

Things were looking up.

***

Alex dreamed that night as well.

It was a familiar dream, a nightmare really. She hadn't had it in nearly a week, but the therapist said it would keep recurring as her mind came to terms with trauma, and probably haunt her for a long time to come.

She is back in her old offices at the science pod. The room is different, distorted, everyone's desks in different locations. Zeke is there, and Camille, and Eddie. There are others, faces blurred but somehow she still knows who they are. But there are new faces now who haven't been in the dream before, not-quite familiar.

It always starts the same, though. She knows what is coming, what is going to happen. There is some variety between dreams. Maybe she tries to warn the others but they don't believe her, or sometimes she can't speak. Or she tries to shake them, drag them under desks but her hands pass through, useless. One time her phone buzzes with the text but she can't read the words, the letters scrambled and blurry and making no sense, even though she knows what they should say, what they mean. Other times she goes to the locker room for her vest but gets lost. Or she can't find her locker. Or she can't get the vest on properly.

The end is always the same. He walks into the room and she looks up, so happy to see him, wanting to warn him. But the face she thought she knew is a transparent mask, warped, and underneath is another face she doesn't know. Inside she is screaming, but it replays just as it happened.

The gun comes out in slow motion. She wants to deny it. Disbelieve it. Stop it. She brings hers up as well, but so slow. Too slow. Sometimes she tries to pull the trigger, over and over, but nothing happens and she watches them, blood flying, scattering. For some reason, she never hears the shots.

Then the gun is facing her. Her own is finally aimed, but she feels the bullet strike the center of her chest, burning. Her breath is knocked out of her. She is twisting, falling. There is a second hit. Her shoulder is numb. Did she pull the trigger? Is he coming around the desk after her? Can she pretend to be dead? Still her breathing? What about the others?

But it's different now. The new people, she has to protect them, too. But when he comes in the room, they start to move. They know. Everything is blurred, she can't seem to focus. But she still sees the shots. One of the new people, red hair vibrant, pulls Camille down. Alex sobs with gratitude. Camille will live.

The gun is turning away now, pointing at the new people. She raises her own, but it's not her standard-issue pistol any more; it's a rifle. She can't see through the sight, but fires anyway. 

This time, somehow, she knows she hit.


	7. Mission: Possible

They met at Bruce's lab the next day to find him buzzing around purposefully.

"Ah, good! Tony, here."

Tony frowned at the device placed in his hand. "This is the prototype, it doesn't work. Why do we need this?"

"To get the Hulk used to the idea without actual application?" Alex supplied. Bruce nodded, he was already in his baggy sweatpants.

Tony sniffed. "I knew that. Really, I did. Okay, so we do this now?"

"Yes." Bruce was eager but hesitated a moment. "Are you ready?"

"Of course! Let's do this thing!" Tony strode towards the door.

Bruce snorted, "I wasn't asking _you_ ," but Alex smiled and followed Tony.

"Snack, same as yesterday?"

Tony waved her towards the tiny kitchen. "Go for it. I think there are fresh bagels in there." It took her a moment to get the trick to the door, but once she found the right spot it was easy enough.

"Okay. Everyone ready?" Tony waved 'get on with it' at Bruce and Alex nodded as she balanced a platter of a dozen bagels and pushed the door closed with her hip.

Bruce took a deep breath, and changed.

It was a little less startling this time, but still impressive.

Again, it seemed to take a moment for the Hulk to acclimatize. He looked around and huffed a greeting at Tony, who responded with "Heya, big guy!". This time he noticed Alex right away. "A-lex!" He seemed pleased to get her name right.

"Oh, I see how it is. One pretty blonde and you forget your old buddy, huh? Well, can't say as I really blame you." Tony flopped onto his beanbag from the day before.

"Hi there! Today it's bagels, do you want some?"

His face lit up; apparently bagels were a favorite. He sat on the monster beanbag and Alex passed him the platter but he paused and grunted. She hesitated, then realized he was offering her a bagel. Tony leaned forward in rapt amazement; the Hulk had never offered to share food before.

Alex gingerly picked one off the pile, "Thank you!" and sank into her own beanbag.

The Hulk gave Tony a doubtful look, then offered him the platter as well. "Well, will wonders never cease..." Tony took the top one from the platter. The Hulk sat back and proceeded to toss three into his mouth at once.

"This is a big step for you fella, playing nice with the other kids!" Tony was delighted and gave the Hulk a light slap on the arm that he probably couldn't even feel.

Alex actually choked on her bagel as the Hulk _rolled his eyes_ , then gave a sly grin at her reaction. "That's a sneaky sense of humor you have there, big guy," she grinned back.

The Hulk laughed and Tony did too. "He's played some pretty surprising tricks. We do team field training, and one time he stole Clint's quiver and stuck it on top a wall. Clint had to climb him like a tree to get it back."

The Hulk laughed louder, whether he understood the words or just followed Tony's exaggerated gestures as he told the story it was hard to tell. He brushed away crumbs; the bagels were already gone.

"Okay." Tony looked a little uncertain about this next part, but he soldiered on. "So, you know the other day? When I tried to, you know, do the thing?"

The Hulk scowled a moment; this time Alex rolled her eyes. Tony gave her a dirty look. "I tried to show you something, and you didn't want me to. And, this... happened." He pointed to his eye.

The Hulk seemed to consider that a moment and then gave a slow nod. Alex watched his shoulders sag a little.

"Yeah, that was totally my fault, big guy. I'm sorry. I didn't explain it well and I rushed you. My bad." The Hulk was paying attention, but again it was hard to tell how much he really understood. Tony paused and Alex waved him on.

"Can I, can I show you something? Just, show you? This isn't the thing, but it's like it. Here, do you want to hold it?" The Hulk flinched back a little, but Tony just offered it on his open palm and after a moment the Hulk reached out and picked it up.

He carefully turned it over and over, looking at it closely, then finally grunted. He held it back out to Tony. "What?"

"Oh boy, this is the part I messed up." Tony wiped one hand on his jeans, then passed the prototype to the other hand repeated the process.

Alex hesitated a moment, then offered, "Want me to give it a try?"

"Sure!" Tony couldn't accept fast enough. "I mean, you can't do any worse... I hope." Alex gave him a dry look as she took the prototype and walked over to the Hulk. He still eyed the device with caution, but she didn't move it any closer and he relaxed again.

"I know that sometimes, something scares you, surprises you?" He seemed to consider that a moment.

"Loud."

"Yes! Like a really loud noise, and you're confused for a moment." He nodded- he clearly understood her words as long as she spoke slowly and clearly.

"Well Tony made this to help you calm down when you don't need to fight." He frowned but gave a slow nod. "Let me show you."

She carefully stripped away the clear film and handed it to the Hulk. He looked at it closely but was largely uninterested.

"Watch." Alex gently pressed the adhesive against her arm and it clung there. The Hulk looked surprised and she explained, "This isn't the real thing. No drugs, nothing to make you sleepy. Do you want to try?" She gently pulled off the flexible device with a sticky sound.

He still looked uncertain, then reached out and very gently touched her arm where the device had been. He frowned a little at the sticky feeling on his finger and wiped it on his pants.

"See? Nothing there."

"Uh, I improved that. Not so tacky on the working model." They both looked at Tony a moment. "I'm just saying. Whatever. Never mind. I'll just sit here. With my mouth shut." He slumped back and crossed his arms, muttering "...no one appreciates the inventor, noooo..."

The Hulk rolled his eyes again and Alex giggled; Tony apparently had that effect on _everyone_.

She held it out to him. "Do you want to do it yourself?" The Hulk huffed for a moment, then shook his head and held out his arm. "You want me to do it?" He nodded and looked determined. She carefully placed it on the back on his lower arm.

"That's it, see? It sticks, but it doesn't hurt." He gave it a few experimental pokes, then waved his arm a bit to try and shake it off, which caused both Tony and Alex to duck. He immediately stopped and looked a little sheepish, then carefully pulled off the device. He stared at his arm a long moment, then handed the device back to Tony, who took it with ill-grace.

"There are only two people in the world who I allow to actually hand me something and you're one of them. Did you even know that big fella? I bet not and I bet you don't care, do you?"

The Hulk completely ignored him, poking at the sticky spot on his arm in fascination, then wiping it off on the side of the beanbag. He looked at Alex expectantly. Alex was nonplussed to realize that Tony had the exact same look on his face. How did she end up in charge of this show? Oh yeah, she volunteered. _Good one, Harrow._

"That went really well. Now you know how it works, and that it doesn't hurt." The Hulk grunted in response. Alex labeled it 'affirmative grunt' and felt like she was making progress. "The only difference from the real one..."

"...besides not having a residue..." Alex shot Tony a dirty look and he clammed up again, trying to look innocent.

"...is that he real one will make you sleepy. We'd like to test it here, where it's safe, because we don't know if it will work. If it doesn't, then nothing will happen. If it does, you'll take a nap. Does that make sense?"

The Hulk pondered that for a long, long moment and Alex held her breath. "Yes. Try."

"You understand? And you want to try the real one?"

The Hulk gave a determined nod and Tony scrambled for the lab. "I'll be right back!"

He huffed again and Alex laughed, "Yeah, he's kind of a goof, isn't he?"

He looked uncertain, then asked, "A-lex stay?"

Alex blinked in surprise. "Of course I'll stay." Tony came back but paused at this exchange.

"Hulk wake up?"

"You'll definitely wake up," she smiled. He gestured toward her with his chin and she realized what he was asking. "You, want me to stay? Until you wake up?" He nodded; he was more nervous about this than she thought. "Yes, I'll stay until you wake up."

"Prom-ise?"

"I promise." She rubbed his arm and he seemed to relax a bit, then nodded.

Tony silently handed her the sedative. This one was much thinner and more flexible than the prototype, and she let the Hulk examine it closely before she peeled off the plastic cover. "Are you ready?"

He humpfed and offered his arm again. "Okay, here goes." She lightly applied the patch to his arm and Tony leaned forward in anticipation. The Hulk sat and blinked a few times, then suddenly slumped back in the chair and began to revert.

Tony started jumping up and down. "Yes! Yes! We did it! What was the elapsed time, J?"

"Five-point-six seconds, Sir. Admirable."

"Is there a blanket in here, Tony?"

"No, why?"

"To put over Bruce until he wakes up. Any idea how long he'll sleep?" She stepped into Bruce's room and gathered up the blanket folded at the foot of his bed, then spread it over him, tucking it around his bare shoulders.

"Ten, maybe fifteen minutes. We're not sure how quickly his metabolism will process it."

"Okay." Alex settled back down onto her beanbag.

"What are you doing?"

"I promised that I'd be here when he woke up, so I'm waiting."

Tony paused. "You really don't need to, you know."

"Just in case he reverts, I want to be here. You know this is only a partial test, right?"

"What? It worked! You saw it worked!"

"Yes, on a docile subject who underwent a willing change. We really won't know how it'll work if he's surprised into a change or angry; I don't know how we could measure the adrenaline to counteract it."

"But..." Tony huffed and tossed up his arms. "It worked!"

"It did, and we need to keep that info highly protected and on a need-to-know basis."

Tony propped his fists on his hips. "You are just taking _all_ the fun out of this you know."

Alex sighed and ran a hand over her face. "If word gets out that we've successfully developed a sedative that will take down the Hulk, other groups will try to develop one as well. I know for a fact that the Army tried but didn't succeed."

Tony sighed. "Ross."

"Yeah. And if Hydra or the Chitauri could take him out of a fight..."

"Right, right. I've got it. But, it worked great, didn't it?"

Alex smiled. "Yes Tony, it worked liked a charm. You did well."

"You're handling me again," but he said it with a grin. "Sure you want to stay? JARVIS can let us know when we wakes up."

"That's okay, I don't mind. Shouldn't be too much longer."

"Okay, I'll come back down in a bit to check in." The door slid closed, and Alex quietly watched.


	8. Plans and Plots

Bruce was out for closer to three hours. When he finally woke up (with what felt like the mother of all hangovers), both Alex and Tony were hovering, worriedly.

"Yay! Welcome back, sleeping beauty! It worked!" Bruce winced and groaned, and Tony immediately modulated his voice. "Hey, sorry. I've been going over the dosage; I'll show you the new numbers, when you're, you know, recovered."

Bruce sat up blearily, noticing the blanket. He had a stiff neck from sleeping in the beanbag and his mouth tasted like something particularly furry and horrible had died in it.

"How long?" He croaked and Alex handed him a glass of apple juice; he nearly moaned it felt so good going down.

"Uh..." Tony started fidgeting again and Bruce gave him a warning look, but Alex stepped in.

Her voice was also low. "Almost three hours. How do you feel?"

"Like hell." He started looking around and she handed over his shirt.

"Ah. So, that's why the new numbers. Data points?" He was having trouble concentrating, but the headache seemed to be ebbing.

"Twenty-five minutes and five-point-six seconds." Tony's eyebrows were doing an excited dance as he waited for that to sink in.

"Five-point-six? Really?!" A slow smile dawned across Bruce's face. "It really did work!"

"Told you. Didn't I tell him that? I know I did."

"Shush, Tony," but Alex smiled as she said it; Bruce looked like a huge weight had fallen off his shoulders.

This time, Tony got up and _actually_ started to dance. "We have to celebrate! We should go out..."

Alex gave Bruce a careful look. "Maybe we'll just start with tea?" A look of longing crept over Bruce's face. "Yes, definitely tea. And hey- I still owe you an omelet and it's lunch time. Sound good?"

Bruce nodded; that sounded about his speed. "I need to, uh, freshen up a bit."

"Of course. Meet you in the common kitchen?"

"Sounds good." Bruce still looked a bit shell-shocked.

"Hey! And now you have no excuse to fight me about the gala!" Tony sounded delighted; Bruce's shoulders sagged.

"The charity event?" she asked.

"Yep. _This guy_ always tries to weasel out, but no more excuses! Oh, this is good- I have to go tell Pepper!" He bustled out the door.

Bruce slumped a moment. "Shoot." Alex couldn't help but laugh, and Bruce gave her a wry smile. "Right. Let me, uh, shower. Then, tea?" He sounded so hopeful.

"It'll be ready when you get there."

***

Bruce felt almost human again after a shower and clean clothes. He came into the kitchen and Alex passed him a mug of Earl Grey. "Drink up!"

He wrapped his hands around the warm mug and took a deep breath of scented steam. "Bless you for this."

At the stove, Alex sauteed spinach and mushrooms in butter. She grinned over her shoulder, "You're welcome. There's more where that came from if you need it."

He sipped and hummed happily. "That smells pretty good. Anything I can do to help?"

"Nope! It's all ready." She poured half the bowl of egg mixture into the sizzling pan. "So, you're not a fan of charity events?"

"Ah, not so much. It's not really my scene, although I'm glad to support good causes if I don't have to dress up and make small talk."

"Well, I know Jane and Darcy are excited about it, it's all they could talk about for the last week. They're planning a dress-shopping trip and wanted to drag me along. I'm a little jealous, really. Nat and Maria already have their dresses, of course."

She expertly folded the omelet around the filling and slid it onto a warm plate. Adding a small scoop of chopped tomatoes she handed it to Bruce. "Don't wait for me, it's better warm."

Bruce took an experimental bite. "Wow- this is good! Swiss cheese?"

"Always!" She started on her own omelette.

In between bites, Bruce asked, "Why jealous? You'll be there, won't you?"

"Oh yes. I'm on security and Tony wants to have the patch there as a backup, although with all the Avengers present I doubt it'll be needed." She frowned a minute. "We really need a better name for the sedative."

Bruce chuckled, "I can't argue with you, there."

"But I'll be in my usual Shield-suit, hanging in the background."

"Then why does Maria get a dress?"

"Oh, you don't know?" Alex chuckled- she loved a prime piece of gossip, "Nat talked Sam into asking her, since Nat is going with Clint. Poor guy has no idea what's he's in for."

"Maria won't be working?"

"Oh, I'm sure she'll keep an eye on things no matter what, she'll just get to sit down and eat fancy food and schmooze."

"Sometimes the food isn't all that great, and I can't say that I'm much a fan of schmoozing," he said wryly.

Alex laughed, "Probably both true, but the embassy dinners were one of the few missions Nat could tell me about. No names of course, but it sounded so glamorous. At least I'll get to see a fancy shin-dig first hand."

Bruce was thinking hard, the omelet almost forgotten. He was used to being the odd man out at these things, or he and Steve escorted Darcy, but...

"So, you can only dress up if you go as a guest?"

"Yeah, but maybe next time." Alex was focused on adding tomato garnish and turned to the table.

"So, why don't you go with me? As a... a date? I mean, I don't have one and it would be easier to reach each other if something did happen..." He tried to ask casually, but realized he was holding his breath waiting for her response.

Alex stared at Bruce and almost missed her plate as she slid the second omelet from the pan.

"Really? I mean, really-really?" She bit her bottom lip, suddenly embarrassed, but Bruce was smiling.

"Yeah. I mean, if you'd like to dress up and schmooze and everything... it would be fun. If you want to go." He wanted to laugh out loud; Alex looked like she'd just opened a Christmas present and found a puppy.

However, that didn't even come close to the expression on Pepper's face.

"YES!" She clenched a fist in triumph and Alex and Bruce both jumped a foot; neither had noticed her step through the doorway. "I am SO taking you dress-shopping! We'll go just the two of us. Don't tell anyone, it'll be a huge surprise!"

"But..." Alex stammered.

"No! Not. One. Word. This is  _your_  gift to  _me_ , trust me!"

Pepper startled Bruce by darting in and pecking him on the cheek. "Thank you for inviting her- this will be SO much fun!"

She suddenly shifted to CEO-mode, tapping away at her phone. "I'm clearing my schedule now. Meet me in the lobby at 3 pm, sharp." She finished with a flourish, gave the still-dazed Alex a quick hug and strode out the door. From partway down the hallway they could hear Pepper gloating, "Eeeee! Shopping!"

Alex sagged against the table a moment. "Well, I guess that's a yes, then." They exchanged stunned looks and then burst into laughter simultaneously.


	9. Glitterati

The one problem with agreeing to Pepper's plan was trying to keep anything a secret in a tower full of spies who were also friends.

Since Pepper had swept Alex off to 'do errands', Bruce suddenly realized he was the weak link in the chain. He'd had years of hiding his identity, but now he was in the middle of a group of people who knew him well and Bruce had to pretend that nothing special was going on.

Bruce was  _not good_  at this kind of pretending. Especially since he was suddenly insanely nervous.

This would be his first date in... years. Many years. And while he'd asked as a friend he  _had_  actually used the 'date' word hadn't he? Had he? Maybe he was mis-remembering? Or was he misunderstanding her acceptance? Had she only said yes because of Pepper? He fought the urge to ask JARVIS to play back a recording of their conversation.

He quickly decided that his best bet was to retreat to the lab and not come out until the gala. In two days' time.

Unfortunately, his lab didn't have the same reputation that Tony's workshop did; Bruce didn't blast loud music or keep the door locked because he was doing something dangerous. Plus, Jane's lab was right down the hall, and occasionally he heard 'Squee!'-ing as Jane and Darcy planned for the event.

At one point, Darcy popped through the door and chirped "Heya, Dr. B!"

Bruce jumped nearly a foot and just barely kept from dropping his StarkPad.

"Darcy!" Jane admonished, coming up behind her. "I'm sorry about that Bruce. Have you seen Alex? We were hoping that she'd come dress-shopping with us."

"Uh, uh..." Bruce tried to get his racing heart under control. He really wasn't made for espionage. "I think she's with Pepper today."

"Oh, poop," Darcy pouted, shoulders sagging.

"Thanks Bruce! And again, I'm sorry about her." Jane took Darcy firmly by the arm and he could hear scolding as they headed for the elevator, "How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on people like that? Especially poor Bruce!"

Bruce sighed. Now 'poor Bruce' felt guilty on top of everything else. Calling the lab a loss, he locked himself in his apartment for the rest of the evening. 

***

The next day was worse.  _Everyone_  was in the common room  _constantly_.

Tony had probably been to hundreds of charity fund-raisers over the years, but this was for the Maria Stark Foundation and he was really looking forward to it. Tony'd insisted that Bruce meet with his private tailor in the Tower earlier that week, and Bruce hadn't find a way to dodge; now the suit hung on the back of the bathroom door, just waiting.

Alex, apparently, was being unusually non-communicative. The female contingent decided it was because she felt left out and spent the day being extra-nice to her, which was clearly wearing on her nerves. Bruce felt slightly better that he wasn't the only one suffering under Pepper's imposed silence, and then felt guilty about  _that_.

Natasha took things one step further and cornered Bruce, strongly 'suggesting' that he needed a date and that Alex was available. It would not be far off to say that Bruce's response fell along the lines of 'gibbered and fled'. Natasha shrugged it off, but her eyes were narrowed; she could smell something was up even if she didn't know what.

It was at that point that Bruce realized the real issue. Alex would have to ask Maria's permission. Maria would know she was going. And if Maria knew something, it would probably take less than .02 seconds for Natasha to know it.

Bruce promptly decided to follow yesterday's tactic and hide in his room; he wondered why he'd even left. He was waiting impatiently at the elevator, debating whether to just make a run for the stairs, when the door opened and he came face-to-face with Maria Hill herself.

He tried to squeak something out, but she just said "Bruce" and politely stepped around him, dropping a covert wink on the way.

So, she knew and was on board. That was the good part. However, it would take longer for Bruce to recover from being  _winked at_   _by Maria Hill_.

He now considered just slapping himself with the sedative and sleeping through the gala. With his luck Tony would just dress him anyway and throw him in the limo.

He couldn't quite bring himself to call it off, though. Alex had been so excited, and he wanted to ask how the dress shopping had gone. Pepper had come back purring like a cat that had been in the cream and unceremoniously dragged Tony out of the workshop, much to his delight.

Bruce stood in the middle of his room staring at the suit. How bad could it be anyway?

***

It was awful.

They were all supposed to meet in the common area at seven and head to the limos at seven-thirty, so most of the guys were standing around awkwardly in their tuxes waiting for the girls to arrive.

Tony apparently felt that Bruce needed some reassuring, so he came over and fussed with Bruce's bow-tie. "You going to be okay? We'll all be there, and now we have Alex with the patch as a backup."

Bruce fidgeted. "Can we please think up something else to call it? How's the arrowhead attachment going?"

"Not done yet, but we'll have it ready in time for our next field training." Just then Pepper came down the stairs, and Tony was distracted by being smitten.

She wore a long, shimmering gold gown and her hair cascaded over one shoulder, making her look like a starlet from the golden age of film. She glided over and allowed Tony to place a kiss on her cheek, then admired his suit; Tony preened. "Would you...?"

"Drink? Yes, drink!" and Tony bustled off. Pepper smiled fondly after him, then turned to Bruce and smoothed his lapels. "Very nice! Gerardo always does such good work. Have you seen the dress yet?"

"Not yet."

She gave him a knowing look. "Perfect." She graciously accepted her drink from Tony and turned as the elevator opened to reveal Nat and Maria.

Maria's hair was up and her cream gown was surprisingly low-cut; Sam was clearly having trouble being properly complimentary without putting his foot in his mouth.

Nat, on the other hand, was wearing what appeared to be a modest black sheath dress... until she turned and revealed a completely exposed back. Bruce felt himself blushing just looking at her, and Nat's smug look made it clear she knew exactly the effect it had. She and Clint looked like a Bond couple as usual; the public loved it.

Jane and Darcy arrived next with Thor in tow. He'd made special pains to be there, but it was hard to know until the last minute whether something would call him away. He looked stunning in his custom tux, and Jane looked tiny and exquisite next to him in red satin.

Steve stepped forward and offered his arm to Darcy, who was gloating about being Captain America's date for the evening. She'd found a rich blue dress, and apparently there had been some coordinating since Steve's pocket-square matched. 

Pepper was looking around, trying to hide her concern. "Where is she?" she hissed to Bruce.

Tony glanced over the group, "Who? We're all here. Off to the limos!"

Pepper held his arm a moment, "Let's go in the second limo with Bruce." The elevator was already full, anyway, and the doors slid closed on the chattering crowd. 

Tony gave Pepper a long look. "What are you up to, sweetness, darling, the-love-of-my-life?" Pepper suddenly beamed and both men turned as Alex stepped around a corner.

She wore a pale green dress with a sheer, silvery layer over it, and clutched a matching shawl around her shoulders. Her hair was up as usual, but tiny pearls had been scattered through her braids. In all, it made her look incredibly delicate. Bruce had to remind himself that just a day ago she'd taken Sam down brutally during a sparring session; she was tougher than she looked.

Tony blinked. "Wow. Just wow. You're... " He turned to Pepper. "This is what you were up to?" He then looked at Bruce. "So, you...?" Pepper grabbed Tony's arm and firmly dragged him towards the elevator.

"You can wibble in the limo, we don't want to be late," she said, eyes dancing.

"It's my event, I'm expected to be late. It's how I make an entrance. You kids coming?" His eyes were dancing as well.

Bruce cleared his throat, "You look beautiful."

Alex blushed and looked like she was about to dart back to wherever she'd been hiding, but took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Thanks," she said shyly. She looked him over with an appreciative smile, "You look pretty great yourself."

"He does clean up nice, doesn't he?" Tony beamed like a proud poppa as they stepped into the elevator. "Do you have...?"

Alex opened a slim, silver clutch to show the device concealed inside, then tucked it away. They made small-talk in the elevator, but once they reached the lobby Bruce hung back a moment and Alex gave him a questioning look.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh. Yes. Really, yes. I just, uh... they're going to make a big deal, and maybe at the gala, it'll be more... diffused?" Bruce nodded in understanding. Her nervousness was somehow reassuring; after all, he'd suffered though this before and survived.

They followed Tony and Pepper to the limo where Happy bustled them in and shut the door with a flourish. Pepper leaned forward, "Tony and I will get out first, and while the press is distracted you two can slip inside." She explained to Alex, "That's why Bruce usually rides with us."

Alex nodded, then sat back and stared wide-eyed out the window. Bruce noticed her hands were clenched in her lap. He leaned over and admitted softly, "I always feel the same way." She looked surprised, then smiled and relaxed a bit.

For the first time, Bruce was actually looking forward to the event.


	10. Gala Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops- published early, so expect an update. Computer is acting weird today- I need tea. 
> 
> Update: done! I think was the universe telling me to stop waffling about this chapter and just post it already.

The limo pulled into line in front of the gala. There was a red carpet and velvet ropes holding back fans and reporters; the presence of the Avengers guaranteed great media coverage for any cause.

Pepper gave Tony a last look-over and they kissed softly; this was old hat for them. Tony took a deep breath and opened the door, giving the crowd a wave and dazzling smile, then offering Pepper a hand out of the limo with a slight bow. They beamed as the barrage of flashbulbs went off and moved over to the side for a little glad-handing while an ecstatic celebrity reporter yammered about what they were wearing. Bruce and Alex slipped out while everyone's attention was focused on the Power-Couple of the Year and ducked in the main doors where the rest of the group were waiting, having already done their smiles for the cameras.

"Oh my god!" Alex barely had a chance to brace herself before Darcy barreled into her with a huge hug. Jane quickly joined, the two of them exclaiming over the dress and Alex's shoes (heeled sandals with thin silver straps that Bruce hadn't even noticed). Natasha arced an eyebrow at Bruce; he blushed, then gave a shrug and grinned which earned him an approving smile. She then turned a laser eye on Maria who looked quietly smug.

Steve clapped Bruce on the shoulder with a smile and Sam drifted over with a low whistle " _Damn,_ son. You're lucky my date is so hot or else I'd think I'd been played." He smiled to soften the comment, then leaned in, "I _am_ snagging a dance later, just so's you know," he added with a wink.

Tony and Pepper joined them, finally breaking away from the now hyperventilating reporter. "All right gang, go eat your respective body weight in canapes, Pepper picked them out. Go talk to people and make them give money. Go, shoo!"

The large room was tastefully draped in pale gold bunting and warmly lighted by strings of lights. In addition to the servers circulating with platters, there were several buffets and a cluster of tables near the raised dais at the far end where Tony would make his speeches later. A balcony ran the length of the room opening out over the city for anyone who needed a breath of air, and a string quartet played in a corner.

The Avengers had done a couple of these events so far. Generally they were expected to stand around and look pretty and answer inane questions from people who write big checks. No one particularly enjoyed it, but they were infrequent enough, the fact that they were all suffering together was unexpectedly bonding, and they had a pretty good system for keeping an eye on each other in case someone needed to be rescued.

Steve already had a small, well-dressed crowd gathered around him; he did extremely well with small groups, and generally enjoyed talking to people (although occasionally he'd get an extremely personal question and the rest of the team had to hide laughter as he muttered about manners). Steve would usually counter with a disapproving frown, which quelled all but the most determined. Darcy was having the time of her life as his date for the evening, but also checked in on Jane and Thor periodically.

Sam and Maria weren't well-known so they were about to move around more freely. Thor, on the other hand, might have been a giant Asgardian magnet the way he drew a crowd. The questions he received tended to be even more out-there than Steve's, and his easy good nature meant that someone had to stick close by to keep an eye things; Jane had gotten quite good at deflecting a too-honest answer or turning a conversation before things got out-of-hand. 

Natasha and Clint usually took up a good spot where they could keep an eye on the entrances and watched donors agonize over whether to address Natasha or not. Someone usually challenged her about her history at some point in the evening, and even more who just wanted to prove they weren't intimidated by her reputation. Sam learned to not bet Natasha that she could chase someone away with just a smile- he lost $20 bucks that way. Clint got bored quickly, but he had a knack for charming older women and generally spent a good deal of time on the dancefloor collecting the most delicious gossip to share with the rest of the group later.

Pepper and Tony, of course, had an orbit all their own and moved from group to group, making sure to spend at least a few minutes of face-time with each attendee. Bruce tended to be the touchstone; he'd pick a corner and the others would drift by to check on him periodically. Usually someone could find another scientist to introduce, which guaranteed Bruce a check on his social chart for the evening. With Alex along he tried to be a bit more social, but they still tended to slowly circle the edge of the room.

"Are you having a good time?"

Alex cradled her champagne flute and gloated, "Are you kidding? This is amazing! Did you see Steve's face when he caught the mayor looking down Darcy's cleavage? Priceless!" They both laughed as Maria and Sam joined them.

Maria cocked an eyebrow, "Not missing the Potty Squad, Harrow?"

Alex laughed at the look on the guys' face, "Not a bit." She explained, "New agents get the most basic surveillance jobs. One of them is making sure that anyone who goes into the restroom comes back out."

"Ah, I get in now," Sam agreed. "That would have been your job tonight?"

"Yep, this is  _much_ more fun!" She raised her glass and sipped smugly; Maria actually laughed and shook her head.

"Don't rub it in too much." She turned to Sam and they moved along to check on Jane and Thor.

Bruce and Alex played 'guess the hors d'oeuvres' and talked with the half-dozen guests who approached them. For the most part, the public still didn't associate the quiet physicist with the Hulk, and Bruce appreciated whatever anonymity he could preserve. After about half an hour Jane came over with Thor in tow and knocked back the last of her glass of wine.

"Okay, that's it. I need a break. I could be in my lab right now, but noooo..."

"What happened?"

Thor looked amused and Jane glared in his direction. He held up his hands in a soothing motion, "I do not believe it was intended as an insult, and I do not take it as one..."

"Well, _I_ certainly do!" Jane huffed.

"I need to know, what happened Jane?" Alex was dying of curiosity at this point.

"She... they... argh!" Jane whispered in her ear and Bruce watched as Alex's eyebrows crept to her hairline.

Alex smothered a laugh, "What did you _say_?!"

"Nothing- I don't share." Jane sniffed and deposited her glass on an empty tray passing by. She turned to Thor,"Time to dance!" and they swept off, Alex still giggling and letting Bruce in on the joke.

The late attendees had arrived and the large room was now filled with a milling throng. Alex kept a close eye on Bruce, and when he started to get antsy suggested they step out onto the balcony, which he agreed to with relief. Outside they both took a deep breath of surprisingly cool June air and relaxed a little, then laughed together that they both had the same reaction. 

Alex wrapped her shawl more firmly around her shoulders. "It's stuffy in there in more ways than one, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it usually is. Company is better than usual, though."

Alex blushed a little and smiled at the compliment. "I can see how a little of this goes a long way." Bruce nodded.

"So, what's new? I mean, other than..." he gestured toward her clutch.

Alex looked over the skyline a moment, fingers tapping thoughtfully on the railing. "We're still collecting SHIELD files and sorting out what is legit and what's Hydra. SHIELD has paper archives that hadn't been digitized yet in several secure locations. At least one was compromised, but another is providing some useful data. I may have a lead..." she trailed off. 

"Sorry, maybe we shouldn't talk business."

Alex smiled gratefully. "You'll probably hear about it soon enough," she agreed.

"So what do you do for fun? I know you do yoga and like to read, what else?"

"Well, you know I do tai chi, and I like to read. Uhm... I have a cabin in Michigan."

"You what?"

She grinned at his response. "It's kind of the family's, but I'm there most often so I take care of it. We all get together for a long week around July 4th and the kids run wild, bring their friends. It's beautiful up there."

"Tell me more." Bruce leaned against the railing and watched Alex's face; her eyes were far away and she was softly smiling, and the breeze blew escaped strands of hair across her face.

"Mom and Dad used to take us up a couple times each year. After Mom passed I think it had too many memories for him, so Dad only goes up with Jesse and the girls now. I still love it, though. It's near a small town on the upper peninsula, full of characters; you expect to run into Garrison Keillor at the farmer's market," she laughed.

"Moving around so much, and especially being in cities almost constantly, it gives me a chance to get away for a while. There's a few trails on the property I maintain and the view's amazing. I took Nat up there once when she needed to lay low for a while, and Clint wants to come bowhunting this fall, so we'll probably go up for a few days in late September or early October when there are still a few leaves on the trees." She paused uncertainly a moment, "You're welcome to come, if you like. The cabin sleeps four comfortably."

Bruce was surprised and touched by the invite, "I think I'd like that." The smile that bloomed over Alex's face was stunning; Bruce actually rocked back a little- he felt like he'd just passed some kind of test, but if it made her this happy he really didn't mind.

"I'd like that too," she added, still beaming. Bruce reached out to trap an escaped lock of hair and tucked it behind her ear.

Someone spoke from the doorway. "Bruce?"

He froze. He knew that voice. He slowly turned and stared. "Betty?"

"It  _is_ you," she breathed, then smiled. Bruce felt like there was no air. Betty stood next to a tall man in a tux who looked vaguely familiar, and her long, white dress made them look like the topper on a wedding cake. She was beautiful.

She stepped forward and started to reach out a hand, then turned and took the arm of her escort instead and pulled him forward. "Bruce, this is Glenn Talbot." Social niceties took over and Bruce introduced Alex, but he knew he was staring and couldn't stop.

"So, what, what are you doing here? How are you?"

Betty smiled a little uncertainly, he eyes tracing Bruce's face. "Glenn's family is a contributor to the Stark Foundation. We're doing very well thanks. Actually..."

Glenn cut in, "It's good to see you! We were going to send out announcements but weren't sure how to reach you." He gave Betty a warm smile, but she looked strained, watching Bruce closely. "We're engaged!"

Bruce felt Alex's hand gently supporting the middle of his back and was absurdly grateful. "That's, that's wonderful, congratulations."

Alex voiced her congratulations as well, chatting with Glenn to help cover Bruce's shock. Had they set a date? Any honeymoon plans? Betty's eyes flicked back and forth between the couple, and after a few minutes reluctantly pulled Glenn away. "It was, good, to see you Bruce." He modded mutely, her eyes apologetic. They moved back into the main room where the crowd was drifting toward the tables in preparation for Tony's first address.

Alex turned to Bruce. "Do you need to go?"

His voice was hoarse. "Yes, please."

She tapped a comm hidden in a bracelet and let security know, then quickly guided Bruce to a side exit. One or two guests drifted in their general direction but she made excuses and kept them moving. At the door Nat caught her eye and Alex gave a short shake of her head; Nat nodded and moved to let the others know that Bruce was out for the evening.

Alex led Bruce past a pair of security guards and exited into the parking garage where the limo was already waiting. They pulled away, everything outside the windows a blur. Bruce sat, his face in his hands, breathing shallowly, faintly aware of Alex's hand gently resting on his shoulder, keeping him grounded.

"I'm sorry." His voice was muffled by his hands, but the pain was obvious.

"Nothing to be sorry about. That would have been a shock for anyone. We knew Lucy Talbot was on the guest list; whoever was screening attendees will hear about it from Hill later," she said grimly.

Bruce lifted his face just enough to look at Alex. "Did you know? About... Betty?"

Alex smiled sadly. "She's one of the scientists my team tracked ever since she broke from the DOD. She and Talbot have been together for over a year, it was assumed they were moving in this direction."

His face sank back into his hands. "I didn't... I didn't know. I didn't want to know. I don't... I'm not good at this." He sighed deeply, then leaned back and stared at the ceiling of the limo. "Talbot. Why do I know that name?"

Alex sat back, watching him closely. "Major. Major Glenn Talbot, Jr."

Bruce closed his eyes and winced. "Oh."

The rest of the ride was made in silence. Alex sat close by, not touching, but he could feel her quiet presence and appreciated that she let him just sit and process. Back at the Tower they greeted JARVIS in the elevator and rode up to Bruce's floor. As he stepped off, she asked, "Is there anything I can do?"

Bruce rubbed a hand over his face. "No. No, I... thank you. For understanding. This, wasn't much fun, was it?"

Alex smiled, "I still got to go to a fancy party as a guest and leave before it got boring, so I'll call it a win." Bruce relaxed a little, he still felt bad about how the evening had ended, but he was exhausted. He'd worry about it later.

"Thanks. Just, thanks. Good night." She echoed his goodnight and the doors closed. Bruce stripped out of the suit and crawled into bed, but it took him a long time to fall asleep.


	11. Something New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of Something New! There is more to come in the series, including my first cross-over! By the way, if you think really hard you might guess who the photographer was. ;D

The Tower was empty the next day.

That wasn't too unusual; the SHIELD contingent were on assignment or on the helicarrier for a meeting. Pepper was at work, and Tony had gone straight to the workshop after the gala then crashed, both physically and emotionally; Bruce didn't expect to see him until the evening. Thor, Jane and Darcy had slept in and then gone out somewhere into the city so the floor was quiet, but Bruce couldn't concentrate.

He was devastated.

He hadn't known Betty very long before the Hulk, but she had stood by him through so much. He had loved her, there was no question of that, but at some point staying away for her protection had become a way to protect himself, as well.

Since Harlem there had been running and hiding, but also surprising moments of peace, even in the slums of Calcutta. Being able to help the sick and injured, coming to terms with the Hulk, finding a tenuous balance, slowly accepting a new normal.

And then the Avengers happened. This strange group of people, each broken in their own ways but finding strength together, as a team. It was something he never expected to have, and, in a way, had never had before.

Tony accepted him as/is. Period. His absolute assurance was baffling, but Bruce couldn't fight it. Somehow Tony's faith in Bruce was becoming Bruce's faith in himself; that he really did belong. Tony constantly challenged Bruce's intellect and understood him in a way that few others could; he was a force of nature, but somehow he'd made Bruce family and Bruce would honor that in every way he could. 

And Steve. He didn't know anything about Bruce from before, but accepted Bruce as he was- broken and whole. Steve, just being who he was, so completely certain in doing right and his trust that those around could and would do the same- you wanted to be a better person for him. It would be easy to resent him, to look for the flaws in his shining reputation, but Bruce saw the darkness and how Steve was still inherently himself, in front of the shield or behind it. It was reassuring. Steve didn't need to push him to be more, he led the way and pulled the rest of them in his wake. And they followed willingly.

It had taken time for Bruce to get to know Clint. The archer had seem taciturn at first, maybe even sullen; traumatized by the mind control and dealing with his grief and guilt. And that was the common ground where they eventually met. Understanding had become friendship, and as Clint healed his easy-going good nature, bad jokes and pranks came to the fore. Out of the team he was the most 'ordinary' and yet still uniquely special, with an everyday 'aw shucks' charm that hid a depth of perception that was easy to underestimate. 

Thor seemed almost blindingly transparent, his unabashed joy easy to mock, and yet so completely sincere that you just couldn't disbelieve. He knew the effect he had on the others and wasn't above exaggerating to subtly push his teammates in the right direction. Those moments of understanding and reflection opened up a far more complex personality than anyone had expected, and he would just as happily debate theory as argue about a football play. But when he called Bruce 'brother' and said he was proud to fight beside the Hulk there was only truth there, and that this remarkable being found value in his company, it was something that still filled Bruce with awe.

As for Natasha, in some ways he respected her the most. Despite the events on the helicarrier she never doubted him, never held it against him, refused to let him apologize. He would do anything to maintain that trust, especially from someone who had so little reason to trust.

That they were as they are was so incredible, and then to have the others: Pepper, Jane, and Darcy who accepted him, who included him, who cared and worried when we wasn't there. It was humbling, wonderful and terrible.

Somewhere along the line, Betty had come to represent Before. Not Before the Hulk, but Before the Avengers. Not that he had any doubt that his new family would accept her, but his love for her had become tangled up in pain and despair, years of hiding and fear. It wasn't fair to her, but her few cautious overtures had always gone unanswered, his feelings of unworthiness tied to that past a sharp contrast to his current life where he felt included, even safe. He couldn't reconcile the two, in heart or mind.

He knew that she had publicly supported the Hulk; defended him against detractors. But at the same time her private messages had talked about finding a cure, so that things could go back to the way they were. Some days, most days, Bruce wanted that more than anything else; to go back to when things were simple, and he was One. But he had something now he hadn't before, even before the Hulk: a sense of purpose, and of peace that was so fragile and precious he was afraid to name it lest it be broken, or taken from him.

More and more he couldn't imagine what it would mean to lose this family that had adopted each other, even to trade it for a 'normal' life. And more and more, he understood that 'normal' was what you made it.

Somewhere along the line, this place, these people, had become _Home_.

Maybe, maybe he could have had both, but time had run out. Betty had found someone, someone who could be there for her in a way that he couldn't, not now and possibly not ever. It was painful and inevitable and even as Bruce mourned a relationship that had ended years ago, he knew he wouldn't have been able to reconcile the two.

Bruce blinked wearily. He'd been staring without seeing for so long that his StarkPad had powered down and he hadn't realized it. He rubbed his eyes and sighed.

As he logged back in a blinking icon showed he had mail; the message was from Pepper, which was unusual enough. Her note was short, "Saw these from last night, thought you might like to see. Catch you later! Pep." Bruce was touched- he was still uneasy around Pepper at times, but they were united in their devotion to Tony, and that bound them together. He clicked on the link which took him to a folder on the Avengers' shared archive with pictures from the gala. He paused a moment, torn between stumbling across a picture of Betty and wanting to see what he'd missed.

He flipped through and noticed that the images had been tagged, so he could filter easily. Tony's speech: the crowd first laughing at his jokes, then looking somber as they remembered Maria Stark, and finally the enthusiastic cheers for the Foundation recipients who received awards and presented thanks for past assistance. He found himself smiling; that was probably the part of these events he liked best.

He quickly scrolled through more pictures, looking for his teammates: Sam and Maria glided on the dance floor; Clint with a mountain of food piled on a tiny plate and Natasha's resigned expression; Thor and Steve smiled for the camera, arms around each other's shoulders.

He paused a moment, then searched for his own name.

There usually weren't too many pictures of Bruce; mostly he appeared in the background- just another in a sea of faces with the few team photos as the exception.

This was different, though.

There was one of he and Alex chatting with Sam and Maria (he suspected the photographer hadn't known who any of them were). One or two of them near the buffet, or in the background of another picture (he suspected the photographer liked Alex's dress; she really had looked amazing).

The next picture stole his breath away.

It was on the balcony, and the photographer must have been in the doorway. Bruce didn't remember a flash going off; whoever they had on staff that night had been discreet.

Bruce and Alex were facing each other, smiling. The picture was zoomed in, catching the moment when Bruce tucked the strand of hair behind Alex's ear; it was a surprisingly intimate moment.

Bruce stared; he felt strange, for the first time since seeing Betty his mind was still, just drinking in the picture.

He took a deep breath, then returned to his email. The message was simple, "Let me know what to bring to the cabin." He pressed 'Send.'


End file.
